Ex-Harper minister first to run for Conservative leadership

Kellie Leitch may have a long climb into the first tier of the Conservative race, but she can draw on a well of support from networks established by her late friend and mentor, Jim Flaherty, and all the way back to the days of former Ontario premier Mike Harris.

The move allows Kellie Leitch to formally establish an exploratory committee, to be co-chaired by Toronto lawyer Sander Grieve and Montreal party activist Dany Renauld. Her chief fundraiser will be Andy Pringle, chair of the Toronto Police Services Board and long-time friend to Mayor John Tory.
The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

From: To: Message:

OTTAWA—Former cabinet minister Kellie Leitch has become the first official candidate to replace Stephen Harper as Conservative leader, sounding the starting gun on a race that will stretch over 13 months. Leitch presented her papers, with the required 300-plus signatures over 30 ridings in seven provinces, to the party and another former Conservative minister, Maxime Bernier, is also poised to make his run official. Leitch and Bernier may be running from the back of the pack, but both

This is an exclusive subscriber-only story by The Hill Times. If you’d like to read the full article:

New Ontario PC leader Doug Ford upended the party establishment through a campaign run by a small group with ties to the Ford family, as well as several high-profile federal Conservatives. The members of Mr.…

The five winners of the government’s superclusters competition will be meeting with the federal Innovation Department in the coming weeks to get started on a months-long negotiation over just how much money each will receive…

Representing the riding of Long Range Mountains, N.L., which covers an area larger than Switzerland and includes more than 200 communities, means a lot of time spent on the road for Liberal MP Gudie Hutchings…

This fall, anyone working in an MP’s office can expect to follow in their boss's footsteps and be required to take in-person anti-harassment training, following a House of Commons Board of Internal Economy decision earlier…

The public relations problems that plagued Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent India trip are part of a pattern of poor issues management that politicos say will dog this government if it doesn’t change course quickly.…

A comprehensive examination of how public servants feel about their workplaces will now be done yearly, instead of every three years, a move welcomed by union representatives, who say there needs to be meaningful action…

The Liberals will have to address American fears that Canada is being used as an entry point for cheap Chinese steel flooding the United States market if the government wants the threat of tariffs gone…

An online platform intended to speed up and simplify federal procurement is almost two years behind schedule, but now has a planned launch in 2019 following $197-million promised in the latest budget. The funding identified…

Quebec Parliamentarians of all stripes are pressuring the Liberal government to stem job losses by giving more work to the Davie shipyard near Quebec City, a potential battleground in the 2019 election. Opposition MPs say…